Moving mountains for Tyson
Saving lives and childhoods at the Alberta Children’s Hospital
Saving Tyson's life and his childhood
Because of our incredible nurses and doctors, we can watch our little boy grow up.”
— Courtney, Tyson's mom
It was supposed to be a special Christmas for Josh and Courtney, their first one celebrating as a family of three after welcoming baby Tyson 12 weeks earlier.
But on Boxing Day, they discovered a strange bump on Tyson’s head. Two days later, he became congested and then, struggled to breathe.
The worried new parents rushed Tyson to the nearby South Health Campus. There, doctors suspected he had a respiratory virus and suggested he be transported straight to the Alberta Children’s Hospital.
While Josh went home to pack an overnight bag, Courtney rode with their baby boy in an ambulance to the hospital. Josh was en route to meet them when his wife called with four words he’ll never forget.
“They think it’s cancer.”
Right away, Tyson was admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. What was originally thought to be chest congestion turned out to be his liver and spleen swelling from the cancer, crowding his tiny lungs. For the next 10 days, he relied on a ventilator to breathe.
Pediatric oncologists diagnosed Tyson with acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive cancer of the blood and bone marrow. The bump on his head was a cluster of cancer cells that spread to his central nervous system. While he was intubated, his oncology team began the first round of chemotherapy on Tyson’s little body.
“Days before, we wanted to give him infant Tylenol for his cold symptoms and then remembered it’s not recommended for babies his age,” says Josh. “Next thing we knew, we were watching our three-month-old baby receive medicine so toxic, his nurse had to gown up in what looked like a hazmat suit to give it to him.”
After several rounds of chemotherapy, Tyson’s best chance for survival would be a bone marrow transplant (BMT) — a brand new immune system infused into his body. Thankfully, support from our generous community has enabled the Alberta Children’s Hospital to become a centre of excellence in bone marrow transplantation.
Courtney’s plans for swim lessons and trips to the mountains with her baby were put on hold while he went through chemotherapy and his specialists searched for a bone marrow donor. The chemotherapy caused terrible, painful mouth sores, so Tyson had to stop the comfort of nursing and instead receive his mom’s milk through a feeding tube that went directly into his tummy. During this time, surgeons also discovered a clot in his brain that needed immediate removal.
As a firefighter, Courtney was trained to be on the front line of emergencies to save people's lives. Now, she had to put her trust in others to save their son.
In March, they found a donor match, enabling doctors to perform a life-saving BMT for Tyson at just six months old. Thankfully, his little body accepted the new donor cells and immune system.
“Because of our incredible nurses and doctors, we can watch our little boy grow up,” says Courtney. “They are the heroes, and we are so grateful for them.”
Throughout their five months in hospital, Courtney looked out their window towards her happy place, the Rocky Mountains. She dreamed of the day when their boy would be well enough to take him there. Today, those dreams have come true.
While he is still closely monitored by his team of oncologists, Tyson is now three years old and cancer free! He is thriving and especially loves his family's many escapes to the Rockies.
“It’s where he can throw rocks and smell the wildflowers, because incredible people like you helped his specialists move mountains to save him,” says Josh.
You
can help kids like Tyson
Every year, about 80 children are diagnosed with cancer at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. While 80% of children will survive a cancer diagnosis with standard therapy, most will suffer serious side effects from their treatments for the rest of their lives. Tyson is one of them. Beyond his oncology team, he sees a neurologist for complications caused by the chemotherapy’s impact on his central nervous system.
By making a gift, you can help researchers find newer, gentler cures without the lasting side effects for children facing cancer today and in the years to come.
To donate, please use the enclosed postage-paid return envelope to mail in your gift, scan the QR code below or visit childrenshospital.ab.ca/Hope
Scan to donate!
Making MRIs child-focused and child-friendly
If you have ever had an MRI scan, you know that lying still inside a noisy tube-shaped scanner can feel uncomfortable, even slightly claustrophobic. Imagine what that’s like for a child. What makes MRI for kids even more challenging is that any movement makes images harder to read and may lead to longer or repeated scans.
Thankfully, experts at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute are now advancing MRI technology and creating new child-friendly tests to better understand and treat brain-related disorders in kids whether they’ve had a stroke, seizures or need answers about their mental health.
The hospital’s Child and Adolescent Imaging Research (CAIR) program is home to a team of internationally recognized scientists who study the developing brain. To help improve the MRI experience for children and families, they know it is important this process be as simple and fast as possible. That’s why the CAIR team has launched an initiative called Brain Imaging for a Healthy Tomorrow (BRIGHT). With generous community support for BRIGHT, new in-house expertise is dedicated to improving brain imaging techniques for kids.
Dr. Chathura Kumaragamage
Biomedical engineer Dr. Chathura Kumaragamage has just been recruited from Yale University to help lead this work.
“There are so many opportunities in pediatric neuroimaging and I’m thrilled to be heading up an incredible team of specialists at a world-class facility,” says Kumaragamage. “There’s an exciting road ahead as we continue to make advancements.”
Kumaragamage plans to develop new hardware and software, which will provide rapid, advanced imaging of brain structure and chemistry at the same time. The proposed technology will collect information from a much larger brain area in a shorter amount of time, resulting in a quicker appointment.
This will enable the CAIR team to learn even more about brain health and make every part of neuroimaging research — and eventually the overall hospital experience — better for children.
“Our team is learning so much about the pediatric brain, from development to function,” says Dr. Catherine Lebel, one of CAIR’s founding researchers. “In any given year, we have 20-plus studies on the go — from understanding how the brain processes pain to early identification of neurodevelopmental disorders such as Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder, to the effects of maternal stress during pregnancy on a baby. This is another tool we can use to tailor the MRI experience for kids and further these important studies.”
Since MRI scans can be intimidating, certain children — often those with neurodevelopmental disorders — are excluded from studies, making it harder to understand these conditions. The BRIGHT team aims to change that.
Current techniques typically only measure brain chemistry in one specific area at a time, says Lebel, while this newer technique could measure neurochemistry over a large brain region at once. Information on brain chemistry can reveal metabolic levels, which can be a helpful early indicator of masses or tumours in the brain, among other things.
“We’ll be getting a child’s results in a way that is much faster and more comprehensive, opening up a world where imaging appointments are better for a wider variety of kids,” says Lebel.
The hiring of Dr. Kumaragamage and the work being done through BRIGHT are laying the groundwork for further advancements in child health, all with the goal of improving pediatric brain health today and into the future.
“It’s an honour to be joining a hospital and research centre where the surrounding community is so supportive and invested in better outcomes for children and families," says Kumaragamage. “There is endless potential for the difference we can make together.”
Fueling innovation with Ovintiv
In late 2023, North American energy producer Ovintiv made a $3-million donation to establish the Ovintiv Innovation Fund for Child Health at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. This incredible investment is the second largest corporate gift in the history of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation and is already helping create advancements, opportunities, research and care programs for children in Calgary and beyond.
The Child and Adolescent Imaging Research (CAIR) program is the first initiative benefiting from this funding, catalyzing further learnings and growth in pediatric brain health.
“Ovintiv is thrilled to support tomorrow’s advancements in child health and wellness,” says Rachel Moore, Executive Vice President, Corporate Services. “As a leading energy producer, Ovintiv is at the forefront of driving innovation, and we are excited to see the groundbreaking ideas taking shape at the Alberta Children’s Hospital.”
“Innovation is essential to finding new cures and treatments,” says Saifa Koonar, President and CEO of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation. “We know the impact of this incredible gift will be far reaching — for children and families in our community and, ultimately, around the world.”
Thanks to you!
Each year, generous donors like you support life-saving and life-changing care for thousands of children and families. Your gifts, big and small, fund family-centred programming, specialized equipment and groundbreaking research at the Alberta Children’s Hospital and throughout our community. Thanks to you, specialists are able to meet families where they are at with the help they need and provide the most personalized care available. Here is a snapshot of some of the many successes you made possible last year.
2,296 nights
of stay at Rotary Flames House — Alberta’s only pediatric hospice — staffed by a compassionate, highly trained team of medical professionals who provide respite and end-of-life care for children with medically complex conditions.
2,724 hours
of specialized training provided through KidSIM, the hospital’s world-renowned simulation program that enables families and caregivers to practice real-time, emergency scenarios on high-fidelity, life-like mannequins to learn or maintain life-saving skills.
1,519 visits
by the Hospital at Home team to administer medications and therapies for children with certain cancers and blood or immune disorders in the comfort of their own homes, reducing stress and the need for families to travel to the hospital for treatment.
4,041 sessions
with the Child and YoutH Interactive Media Program (CHIMP) team, providing kids with access to video games, cameras, computers and virtual reality for therapeutic play that supports their psychosocial needs.
Your support is going the distance
Community support often provides the seed funding necessary to get new and important initiatives off the ground. Last year, after demonstrating significant success, two programs initially funded by generous donors were taken over by the health system, officially establishing them as standard services to help young people and families moving forward.
Acute at Home
This crucial program enables kids and families to receive assessments and counselling from mental health professionals where, when and how it’s most comfortable for them. The Acute at Home team provides comprehensive support outside the hospital setting — in Zoom chats, community coffee shops, living rooms and school classrooms — making it easier for young patients and families to access the care they need.
Mental Health Literacy
A mentally healthier future for children begins with increased understanding and everyone speaking the same ‘language’. Now Elementary Mental Health Literacy programming is providing school staff, teachers and students across Alberta with the tools and training they need to better identify and address mental health issues in schools and in the community. These programs are contributing to more timely and appropriate interventions, reduced stigma and broad-based prevention.
4,123 visits
to Emily’s Backyard, a free, specialized child-minding service designed to meet the needs of young patients and their siblings, while enabling parents to focus during appointments and important meetings with their child’s medical team.
275 transports
by the Pediatric Critical Care Transport Team, which operates like a mobile Intensive Care Unit to provide continuous, specialized, life-saving care to children during emergency transfers by ground ambulance, helicopter or fixed wing airplane.
409 scientists
and hundreds more trainees at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute working to find new cures and advance treatments for the most pressing health issues facing children and families in our community and beyond.
Your
Thousands of families received mental health support through three new services offered at The Summit: Marian & Jim Sinneave Centre for Youth Resilience:
2,234 YOUNG PEOPLE and their families received timely support from the Owerko Family Walk In Services
146 CHILDREN AND TEENS benefited from specialized therapy through the Tallman Family Treatment Services
216 YOUNG PEOPLE made a smoother transition from inpatient care back to home and community through the Ptarmigan Day Hospital
True colours
Art therapy lets creativity shine through for kids in hospital
Kids have a magical way with paints, pens and popsicle sticks. The way their faces light up when they reveal their masterpieces is a reminder that art is about more than making something beautiful — it’s the sheer delight of letting creativity run wild.
It also serves as a powerful therapy.
In the midst of treatments, rounds and routine, art therapy offers kids and teens at the Alberta Children’s Hospital a vital escape and a way to express their feelings. The simple act of drawing, painting or crafting can provide comfort and a sense of normalcy, helping them cope with their experiences and emotions. Art becomes a bridge between their inner world and the challenges they face, giving them a voice and a creative outlet that can ease stress, foster resilience and let them just be kids.
And it’s all thanks to generous donors.
Community support allows this creativity to flourish at the Alberta Children’s Hospital, Rotary Flames House and The Summit: Marian & Jim Sinneave Centre for Youth Resilience.
Part of the incredible Child Life Services team that also provides music and horticultural therapy, art therapists lead individual and group sessions for kids in hospital and those attending day treatment programs.
At the heart of art therapy is the Claudia & Randy Findlay Therapeutic Arts Studio, a fun and vibrant oasis bursting with colourful and crafty supplies that appeal to young people like 15-year-old Alexis.
“It’s pretty cool,” says Alexis, who favours the Sharpie and paints over other mediums. “I think everyone could benefit
Alexis with some of her creations.
from art therapy. There are a lot of kids in my school who would like it.”
One of her favourite pieces is a mixed medium of a beautiful sandy beach she made during an art therapy session.
“We go monthly for appointments and this particular project was to create a place that was calm, a place she could visualize and go to when she gets anxious,” says Alexis’ mom, Jodi.
Diagnosed with a mitochondrial disease in 2014 with other diagnoses to follow, Alexis has had to adjust to a reality unfamiliar to most peers — using a wheelchair to get around, being fed through a G-tube, many medical appointments with multiple doctors and the need for additional supports.
“Art therapy has been a way for Alexis to connect and build relationships with therapists, without the stress of traditional therapy modes,” says Jodi.
“Using art, she has learned many strategies to help manage stress and anxiety. She can share big feelings by learning and creating new pieces. It’s an expressive outlet for things that are hard to put into words.”
“Without art therapy, I’m sure Alexis would not be where she is today: a funny, 15-year-old starting Grade 10 in a new school, able to face nervousness and fears and make new friends with confidence.”
Meet the team
Art therapy is one among a suite of programs led by Child Life Services. Here's why art therapists love what they do:
Nia Neumann
“I have witnessed and experienced the power of art-making in helping to explore experiences, identify and process emotions, and bring regulation to the body, which is why I’m so passionate about what I do. I am honoured that patients and families invite me into their worlds, to walk alongside them in the unfolding of their stories. It’s a special gift to be able to share the magic of creativity!”
Jewel Loewen
“It is such a privilege to be able to support patients and families along their unique journeys, helping them express their stories through art. I am continually inspired by the strength and creativity of these amazing individuals!”
Nicole Haywood
“The inherently healing power of the creative process continues to surprise and inspire me! I have witnessed kids use art-making as a tool for communicating the inarticulable nuances of difficult emotion, for finding solace in the flow of art-making and for discovering new creative strategies for working through current and past challenges. The creative process has changed my life and I feel so honoured to walk with others on their own art therapy journey!”
A helping hand for families
Having a child who relies on care at the Alberta Children’s Hospital can be very emotionally, mentally and logistically taxing for families. For some, the expenses that can accumulate with a hospital stay or frequent hospital visits only add stress to an already difficult time.
Thanks to community support, the Special Children’s Fund is a helping hand for those who need one. For many years, eligible families have received financial assistance to manage the costs associated with a hospital stay or treatment — everything from food, gas, parking, transportation, medication and equipment such as wheelchairs, walkers, eyeglasses, orthotics, compression garments and hearing aids.
“In recent years, the need for financial support has been rising dramatically,” says Louise Mills, the unit manager who oversees the Special Children’s Fund. “We know that there are many families who are really struggling. The generous people who support this fund are relieving a layer of stress for these families, allowing them to focus on their child’s
health instead of worrying about paying for expenses they otherwise could not afford.”
Last year, the Special Children’s Fund reached a new highwater mark at the hospital, with 4,502 approved funding requests totaling $396,681 in support.
Additionally, more than $48,000 in Special Children’s Fund assistance was provided to families relying on mental health care or programming at The Summit: Marian and Jim Sinneave Centre for Youth Resilience.
“For many of these families, transportation to and from the centre could be a huge barrier to getting the care and support they need,” says Ryan Clements, program manager at The Summit. “When we tell them we can help with those expenses, it’s a huge burden lifted.”
Beyond transportation coverage, the fund also helps families at The Summit with costs related to medications and equipment to support mental health rehabilitation and wellness.
Some of the families you’re helping
Due to cost and social isolation, a mother faced significant challenges getting her child to the hospital for appointments. The Special Children’s Fund provided her with taxi vouchers to ensure her child got the care needed to thrive.
When a mom suddenly became a single parent of two kids, one of whom is a patient receiving regular care at the Alberta Children’s Hospital, she struggled to provide for them. The Special Children’s Fund was there to support her with grocery cards while she worked to regain her footing and connect with community supports.
After fleeing political persecution in Pakistan, a family spent several months living in a shelter until they could secure permanent housing. One of their children required significant and complex care that resulted in an eight-month stay at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. The Special Children’s Fund was a lifeline for the parents, providing taxi vouchers and a meal card every day of their child’s admission, as well as much-needed support for medications and formula.
Young fundraisers found creative ways to support the Alberta Children’s Hospital this past year, raising more than $477,000 to fund leading-edge equipment, hospital programs and research to enhance care for kids just like them.
From bike-a-thons, the Junior Golf Classic and the Hockey Kids Helping Kids campaign, to dance-offs, bake sales and sticker campaigns, it was an amazing year for the Kids Helping Kids program at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, which supports young people who want to help kids at the hospital.
“To think so many kids in our community, many of whom are in school or might even have a job or are on their own medical journey, chose to do one more thing just to help other kids, it’s so inspiring,” says Karisa Derdall, Kids Helping Kids program coordinator.
Tallyn Spring is only eight, but she has been fundraising for the neurology team at the Alberta Children’s Hospital since her fourth birthday.
Tallyn says it’s a way for her to help the experts who care for her sister, Lette, who lives with cerebral palsy and epilepsy.
Last year, Tallyn put on an epic birthday skate at a local rec centre and asked guests to donate. She enlisted the help of local companies who agreed to match donations and drew the attention of some Calgary Hitmen players who came to enjoy the day with her.
“I know I can’t fix my sister, so I raise money for her doctors so they can help her,” says Tallyn.
Tallyn was one among many Kids Helping Kids fundraisers and siblings who attended the annual Kids Helping Kids Celebration at Calaway Park.
Inspired by creative and caring young people, the Kids Helping Kids program gives children and teens a chance to make a difference. To learn more, go to childrenshospital.ab.ca/kidshelpingkids
2024 AWARD WINNERS
TOP FUNDRAISER
Age 9 and under Tallyn Spring, 8
Age 10 and older
Shaye Parkinson, 10
TOP FUNDRAISING GROUP
Elements Dance Co
TOP FUNDRAISING SCHOOL
George McDougall High School
JEANETTE LYALL AWARD FOR SPIRIT
Henry Stewart, 17
HERO AWARDS
Michela Colabella, 17
Olivia Dupont, 11
Jack and Carter Lenz, 5 & 9
Natalie Loewen, 10
Sloane Masikewich, 7
Ruby Penney, 12
Upcoming events & campaigns
Save-On-Foods Round Up for Kids
October 25 – November 6
Williams Sonoma Holiday Campaign
October 28 – December 15
Long & McQuade Music Therapy Fundraising Drive
November 1 – December 31
Purdys ‘Dear Santa’ Campaign
November 1 – December 24
Extra Life Game Day
November 2
Walmart ‘Spark a Miracle’ Campaign
November 14 – December 31
Candy Cane Gala
November 29
Hockey Kids Helping Kids
Throughout December
Calgary Hitmen Teddy Bear Toss
December 1
NES Fircroft Annual Robert Burns Night Celebration
January 25
Country 105 Caring for Kids Radiothon
February 5 – 7
IHOP National Pancake Day
March 4
CRESCENDO
April 26
For more information, check out the ‘Events’ and the ‘Shop + Support’ sections on our website, childrenshospital.ab.ca